Arugula, Dried Cherry and Wild Rice Salad with a Zippy Lemon Dressing

I’ve been a lazy cook lately. Granted, it’s hot outside and there are pools to jump in. I’ve basically been living on blueberry crisp for breakfast, salads and leftovers. This salad is precisely what I’ve been craving. It’s wholesome and filling, with plenty of fresh greens and bursts of flavor in the form of toasted almonds, salty feta and dried tart cherries.

Wild rice forms the backbone of the dish—did you know that it’s not really rice? It’s related to rice, but it’s a different member of the grass family. Wild rice is high in protein and B vitamins and has a fantastic chewy texture and nutty flavor. I don’t know why I don’t cook with it more often.

I also have some fun tart cherry facts to share, if you’re game for them. I attended a tart cherry harvest trip in Michigan last week, under no obligation to share on my blog, but it seems silly not to share some interesting details while we’re on the subject.

For starters, it’s almost impossible to buy fresh tart cherries outside of where they are harvested (which is mostly in Michigan) because they’re more delicate than sweet cherries, like Bing cherries. Tart cherries are usually sent straight from the fields to processing plants, where they are flash frozen, dried, juiced or packed into cans for pie filling.

Dried cherries come in unsweetened and sweetened form, but even the sweetened variety has less sugar in it than unsweetened dried cranberries and raisins. The sweetener mostly serves to help the cherry retain some moisture. Good to know, right?

Tart cherries are one of the few foods out there that contain naturally occurring melatonin, so they can help you sleep better. Cherry juice is like a whole foods Gatorade—athletes drink it to reduce soreness and speed recovery after workouts. Tart cherries are packed with anthocyanins, which help reduce inflammation in the body. All that and they’re mega tasty, too.

To cook the wild rice, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the rinsed rice and continue boiling, reducing heat as necessary to prevent overflow, for 40 minutes to 55 minutes, until the rice is pleasantly tender but still offers a light resistance to the bite. Remove from heat, drain the rice and return the rice to pot. Cover and let the rice rest for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and let the rice cool.

To toast the almonds, warm one teaspoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the almonds and a pinch of salt and cook until they’re turning lightly golden and fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until emulsified.

To assemble the salad, transfer the cooled rice to a large bowl. Add the arugula, chopped basil, almonds, sour cherries and feta. Pour in the dressing, toss well and season to taste with additional salt and pepper (be sure to add enough salt so that the flavors really sing!). Set the salad aside for 10 minutes before serving, to give the rice time to soak up some of the dressing.

Notes

Recipe inspired by Plenty More and my trip to Michigan to learn about tart cherries. Make it vegan: Skip the feta cheese and substitute maple syrup or agave nectar for the honey.Storage suggestions: This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for two to three days. You might need to wake up leftovers with an extra drizzle of olive oil and squeeze of lemon (the rice absorbs the dressing over time).

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Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #cookieandkate!

This salad sounds wonderful, although I would probably sub a tamer green for the arugula (I get real tired of arugula real fast, unfortunately). FYI, rice is also in the grass family, just a different part of the family from wild rice. Old botanists just never quit…

Cherries are definitely one of the things I miss most about living in Michigan! Well, cherries and the rent prices. :) This salad sounds like the perfect combination of tangy and bitter flavors, plus that wild rice chew. So good.

I love wild rice, can’t wait to try this. I read a comment that said wild rice is too expensive. I agree, when you buy the tiny box at your local grocery store. I buy mine in bulk whenever I’m up in northern Wisconsin or Minnesota. Once a year when a friend and I go fishing in September I’m the foodie buying wild rice and maple syrup at the bait store. I think you can find the same deals online, just look around.

Hi Kate! I tried this recipe with Uncle Ben’s instant wild rice and the salad was delightful. It cooks in like 90 seconds and is pretty much god sent. I forgot last minuet about a salad I had volunteered to bring to a party (note to self to stop volunteering to supply food), and everyone was praising it all evening. Thanks Kate!

This looks so delicious, and super healthy too! I hardly ever (ok, have never) used wild rice so think it is probably time I get onto that one.. And basil, almonds, cherries and feta?! Such a good combo! Love salads that are just that little bit special, and very different from the old lettuce/tomato/cucumber/vinaigrette that we get 2x daily at college!

This is on my meal plan for tomorrow. Just wanted to say how much I love coming to your site each week! I adore your writing and reading about the background behind the recipes. I, too, hope you publish a cookbook for all of us Cookie and Kate lovers! Thanks for all you do!!

Don’t forget WI cherries from Door County. We had cherry trees growing up and I remember spending hours pitting cherries. Thankfully, now fresh Door Co cherries are sold already pitted at my local fruit market. We have been enjoying them in yogurt, on French toast, on homemade ice cream and in pie. I plan to freeze the rest for use in scones. Thanks for reminding me to use some in salad!

This salad is definitely one I will add to my repertoire! Today I substituted spinach and cranberries for the arugula and cherries – and it still tasted great! I may scaled back on the garlic and just use half a clove next time.

Hello Kate ….just had this for dinner! Yum. I find it’s helpful to soak wild rice for an hour or so before cooking to ensure the majority of the grains open up fully. I used an equal combination of dried cranberries & dried cherries & also added chopped tomato & cucumber to the salad. Thanks for all your tasty recipes & stunning photos.

I really want to make this! Would you mind sharing where you get your wild rice and dried cherries? I’m wondering if they’d be available at my regular grocery store, or if I’d need to hit up whole foods.

Found your blog while researching recipe ideas for a second date… I’m lactose intolerant and vegetarian, he is gluten intolerant. Easier than it sounds with the amazing recipes you have here! I made this salad switching out the rice for quinoa to add some protein. Loved it! Also made the sweet potato and rice with spicy peanut putter sauce (omg… to die for!!).
Am looking forward to trying a whole bunch of your recipes… I’m like a kid in a candy store here! Thank you!!!

Made this today for lunch, but subbed quinoa for the wild rice and raisins for the cherries (they were just what I had on hand). Loved it, though I can see how a tart dried fruit, like cherries or cranberries, would be even better!

I was looking for a good salad for sack lunches. Stumbled across this one and the rest is history. I now call it the “crack salad” — I’m completely addicted! Not only does it hold up well in the fridge, it actually tastes better the next day. So awesome, Kate! Thanks for making salad my first choice. :)

Hi Kate! I am so overdue in leaving you a note. I have been making this for lunch for the past month or so! It’s fantastic and so wonderfully versatile. I love being able to switch up the nuts, dried fruit, cheese and dressing. Thank you for helping me stay on track throughout the week :)

This salad turned out so tasty! I made it along side your quiche with almond meal crust and cremini mushrooms for my husband and he thought everything was fantastic. One note – in your ingredients list, I think you meant to write “basil” and not “bail.” Now, off to cook more of your delicious recipes!

I’ve been wondering about using some tart cherry juice in the cooking liquid for the rice. I love love love the flavor and am thinking it would add another dimension to an already delicious dish! Any thoughts?

This was a great salad, thank you! Even a few days after I made it — and with wilted arugula — it was still a crowd pleaser because of the fantastic flavors. I used maple syrup and would do so again. Thanks!

The arugula, wild rice, and dried cherry (in my case cranberry) salad is absolutely delicious! I was so upset the first time I made it, because there were no leftovers. My husband and 3 kids ate it all up! Now I know to make a double batch. Loved the veggie enchiladas too. I’m looking forward to trying your other recipes. Eating healthy is easier with yummy recipes! Thank you

I am obsessed with this recipe. So glad I found your site. I have made it 4-5 times with cranberries. I usually make a batch and a half or double batch and eat it for lunches for several days. So good.

This salad is amazing! I was in a hurry, so I quickly pan heated the raw nuts, leftover wild rice, cherries, and dressing. I tossed them warm with the arugula and cheese (I did not have fresh basil in the house.) Fast and scrumptious- thank you Kate!

Just made this as a trial run for a Thanksgiving side salad option and my whole family LOVED it. What I appreciate most about the salad is how easy it is to make, but how complex and multi-layered the flavors are! And my pups loved cleaning up the leftovers :). Thanks for another great recipe!

I made this salad and it is perfect just the way it is! But here’s my question: I would like to make this for a group that includes someone who cannot eat nuts or cheese. Is there a seed you might recommend to replace the almonds? And I guess I’ll just not use cheese or do you recommend replacing it with something else?
Thank you!

I made this for Thanksgiving and it was delicious. I left out the feta, because I’m vegan. I had planned on serving it on the side but we totally forgot! Loved the cherries and the rice together. It looked very festive and was very easy. I may make it again for Christmas.